AN end to the deadlock over Hong Kong's new airport could be just over the horizon.
Signals from the Chinese camp this week have suggested that, despite the rhetoric, it is preparing to clear some of the obstacles preventing the project from taking off.
The first indication came from senior Chinese official Lu Ping, who disclosed that the Special Administrative Region (SAR) Land Fund could climb to $100 billion by 1997.
That would be in addition to the $100 billion Hong Kong will have accumulated in reserves by then.
News that the land premiums generated by development along the airport railway could soar by 50 per cent to top $60 billion, further underlined Hong Kong's ability to underwrite the $65.2 billion infrastructure plan.
And yesterday, Mr Lu - in what appeared at face value to be an attack on the Governor's handling of the issue - said there could be an immediate solution if Chris Patten abided by the 1991 Sino-British agreement, or Memorandum of Understanding, on the airport.
Superficially, China's stance remains firm, killing any hopes that negotiations on the project can resume soon and thereby ruling out an early start-up. But the key may not lie in negotiation.
